Jewelry case



July 13, 1943.

H.P.MGOVERN JEWELRY CAS E Filed March 4. 1941 fl enr z? 'avern,

ATTORNEYS Patented July 13, 1943 JEWELRY CASE Henry F. McGovern, Marlboro, Mass., assignor to Dennison Manufacturing Company, Framingham, Mass a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 4, 1941, Serial No. 381,720

3 Claims.

This invention relates to jewelry cases, and its general object is to provide a case that is primarily designed for housing, supporting and displaying a ring, but it can be used for any type of ring like jewelry or other article including a ring or loop in the construction thereof.

The important object of the invention is to provide a case that includes a body and a cover therefor, and means within the body to set up a gripping engagement with the ring, for urging and holding the same to and in a raised position, so that the ring will be advantageously displayed when the cover is open, and the ring is held in a lowered position against the action of said means by the cover when the latter is closed whereby upon opening the cover the ring is automatically raised to its displayed position.

Another object is to provide a case that is neat and attractive, simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and extremely efiicient in operation, use and service.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and specifically point out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing wherein like characters denote like or correponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of my case and the ring gripping and elevating means thereof, with the cover or lid open to illustrate the displayed position of the ring.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional View taken through Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 with the cover closed.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail perspective view of the cam faced fulcrum lug of the gripping and elevating means of the form of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing in detail, and particularly to the form of Figures 1 to 4, it will be noted that the case includes a body I and a cover 2 which together with the body may be molded or otherwise formed or constructed in any desired shape, and from any material suitable for the purpose. However, in the form of Figures 1 to 4, the body and cover are shown as being reduced toward the rear ends thereof and the body includes a tray like portion provided with a bottom wall 3, an outwardly curved front wall 4 and side walls 5, converging toward the rear wall 6, the latter being relatively thick and formed to provide hinge barrels l and a flat abutment shoulder 8 between the barrels.

The upper edge portion of the tray is reduced to provide a marginal flange 9 and formed on and extending from the front and side walls at the juncture of the flang 9 therewith, is an 'outwardly and downwardly flared rim Iii, that preferably has a flat upper surface I l, disposed about the flange 9 to provide a seat for the cover 2. The front portion of the rim is curved and the side portions thereof may be fluted in stepped formation, as shown, to add to the ornamentality of the case, as will be apparent.

The rear ends of th side portions of the rim joint the rear portion I2 which forms a part of the rear wall 6, and the rear portion l2 together with the remaining portions of the rim extend slightly below the bottom wall 3 to elevate the latter, as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3. However, the rim may terminate flush with the under surface of the bottom wall,

The cover 2 is shown as including a flat top wall having formed thereon a marginal flange l3 that is shaped to frictionally fit the flange 9, so as to hold the cover in closed position, upon the flat upper portion of the rim l0, against casual opening, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, The rear portion of the cover flange is preferably thicker than the remaining portions thereof and formed on the rear portion along its length is a central hinge barrel l4 disposed between the hinge barrels 1 for registration therewith, to receive a hinge pin l5 for hingedly securing the cover to the body. The hinge barrel I4 is flattened at its juncture with the cover flange for engagement with the abutment shoulder 8, to limit the movement of the cover to a forwardly inclined open position, as clearly shown in Figure 2.

While the shape and detailed construction of the body and cover as shown and described is of no great importance, as previously indicated, I wish to emphasize that the most important feature and the gist of the invention lies in the construction of the ring gripping and elevating means, which in the form of Figures 1 to 4, includes a triangular shaped fulcrum lug I6, formed on and rising from the upper surface of the bottom wall 3, adjacent the rear end thereof, and with its apex uppermost, as best shown in Figure 4.

The tray like portion is provided with a lining pad I! and struck from the pad to extend rearwardly for disposal over the lug I6 is a spring tongue or tab 18, and it will be noted that the slot left by the tongue provides an opening for receiving the lug l6, as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3. The lining pad is of course shaped to fit within the tray like portion and may include one or two layers of resilient cardboard or the like, and a cover layer of fabric. However, a layer of spring metal may be substituted for one or both of the layers of cardboard when the case is used for heavy rings or like articles, and in that event, the tongue will be reinforced with metal, or made entirely from metal, with the exception of the covering layer of fabric.

While the tongue is shown as being integral with the lining pad in the form of Figures 1 to 4, it may be otherwise secured thereto or fastened to the bottom wall 3, but in any event is made from resilient material to cooperate with the lug for setting up a gripping engagement with a ring A or the like to urge and hold the same to an elevated position.

The cover is likewise provided with a lining pad [9, and even though the cover is disclosed as being hinged to the body, it may be otherwise associated therewith. While the cover is held in closed position by the frictional association of the flanges 9 and I3, it will be understood that the hinge may have sufficient friction for that purpose, or to cooperate with the friction of the flanges. However, the cover can be held closed by any suitable latching means.

From the foregoing and disclosure in the drawing, particularly Figures 2 and 3, it is believed that the use and operation of the form of Figures 1 to 4 will be obvious, but it might be mentioned that when this form is used for housing and displaying a ring of the type indicated by the letter A, the ring is placed between the tongue I8 and the lug [6 in a manner so that the tongue engages the outer edge of the inner face of the ring and holds the outer face thereof against the cam like or inclined forward bearing face of the lug, upon which the ring slides and moves in the arc of a circle, to its respective positions of Figures 2 and 3, by the action of the tongue I8 and. the cover 2, with the result it will be seen that the ring is normally urged to and held in its raised or dis played position of Figure 2 while the cover is open, but when the cover is moved to its closed position, it engages and moves the ring against the action of the tongue I8 to the position of Figure 3.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A case comprising a body, a cover for the body, cam faced bearing means within the body, spring means including a face cooperating with the cam faced bearing means to receive a ring like article between to set up a gripping engagement at spaced points on the rings perimeter to urge the article to a raised display position, said cam faced bearing means and spring means acting to hold the article in its display position when the cover is open, and said article in its display position being arranged in the path of the cover for the latter to move said article to a lowered position against the action of said spring means when the cover is closed, whereby upon opening the cover the article is automatically raised to its display position.

2. A case comprising a body, a cover for the body, a triangular shaped lug within the body to provide an inclined bearing face, a lining for the body, a springtongue secured to the lining and including a face overlying the lug for cooperation with the inclined bearing face to receive a 7 ring like article between to set up a gripping engagement at spaced points on the rings perimeter to urge the article to a raised display position at a forward angle with respect to the body, said inclined bearing face and the spring tongue acting to hold the article in its display position when the cover is open, and said article in its display position being arranged in the path of the cover for the latter to move said article to a lowered position against the action of said tongue when the cover is closed, whereby upon opening the cover the article is automatically raised to its display position.

3. A ring case comprising a body adapted to accommodate the ring in a substantially horizontal position, a removable cover for the body, a lug in the body rearwardly of the ring having an inclined face with which the rear outer side of the ring contacts, and a spring carried by the body and having a tensioned free end extending through the ring opposite the inclined face of the lug with its side edges in contact with the upper edge of the rear inner side of the ring to urge the ring into a raised display position when the cover is removed.

HENRY P. McGOVERN. 

